Charles Dawson Shanly
by George J. Dance Charles Dawson Shanly (March 9, 1811 - April 15, 1875) was an Irish-born Canadian and American poet and painter. Life Youth in Ireland Shanly was born in Dublin, the eldest son of James Shanly, a lawyer, and Frances Elizabeth (Mulvany). His family moved to Stradbally, Queens co., when he was 5, and, in 1825, moved to Dunboyne, co. Meath. He was educated at home under the family tutor, Rev. Henry Carpenter, and at school in Waterford. He entered Trinity College, Dublin, earning a B.A. in 1834. He later studied art at the Brocas Academy in Dublin.Frank Norman Walker, Shanly, Charles Dawson, Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Volume 10, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–. Web, Mar. 1, 2017, In Canada In 1836 he came with his family to Upper Canada (Ontario) with his family, settling near Fanshawe. The Shanly family’s 600-acre estate, “Thorndale,” was only just established when the rebellion of 1837 broke out. Charles volunteered, received a commission, and served for a year. He joined the Board of Public Works of Lower Canada as a clerk in 1840, remained with the board after the union of Upper and Lower Canada. He continued writing and in 1849 became editor of a comic magazine, Punch in Canada, published weekly through 1850, to which he contributed poetry, satirical articles, and cartoons. Shanly became assistant secretary to the board of works, but resigned and went to New York City in 1857. In New York In New York Shandy wrote for the Albion, New York Leader, and Atlantic Monthly, and assisted in founding Vanity Fair, a humorous weekly journal, of which he became editor. His poem, “Sword and Plough,” published in the early days of the Civil War, was followed by a series of clever articles, entitled “Hardee made easy,” also published in Vanity Fair, which satirized General William J. Hardee’s textbook on military tactics. Shanly was a member of the literary fraternity that met for late dinners at Pfaff's Restaurant in New York City. William Winters (in Old Friends) describers him as ""a charming essayist and graceful poet, quaint in character, sweet in temperament, modest and gentle in bearing" (65) and "modest, silent, patient, reticent--everything that is meant by the name of gentleman” (95).Shanly (Shanley), Charles Dawson (1811-1875), The Vault at Pfaff's, LeHigh University. Web, Mar. 1, 2017. One of his close friends at the time was F.H. Bellew, the creator of “Uncle Sam.” The Monkey of Porto Bello was published in 1867; 2 other witty monographs, A Jolly Bear and His Friends and The Truant Chicken were apparently published in 1866. Suffering from lung trouble, Shanly went to Arlington, Florida, in February 1875 and died there 2 months later. He was buried in Arva, Ontario, near the family homestead. Recognition William Wilfred Campbell included Shandy's poem "The Walker of the Snow" in the Oxford Book of Canadian Verse, 1913.Contents, Oxford Book of Canadian Verse, 1913. Web, Nov. 18, 2018. Shandy was an ardent painter, and some of his sketches, along with his portrait, are preserved in the McCord Museum in Montreal. Publications Poetry *''The Monkey of Porto Bello''. New York: Hurd & Houghton, 1867. Juvenile *''The Truant Chicken''. New York: Hurd & Houghton, 1867. *''The Jolly Bear and His Friends''. New York: Hurd & Houghton, 1867. Anthologized *"Blondine," "The Walker of the Snow," & "The Lilac Tree" (25-29), in A Wreath of Canadian Song (edited by C.M. Whyte-Edgar). Toronto: William Briggs, 1910.Search results = ti:Wreath of Canadian Song, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Mar. 1, 2017. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:Charles Dawson Shanly, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Mar. 1, 2017. See also *Irish-Canadian poets *List of Canadian poets *List of U.S. poets References External links ;Poems *"The Walker of the Snow" in A Victorian Anthology, 1837-1895 *"Civil War" (Civile Bellum) *Charles Dawson Shanly profile & 3 poems at My Poetic Side ;Books *Charles Dawson Shanly at Amazon.com ;About *Shanly, Charles Dawson in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography *Shanly (Shanley), Charles Dawson (1811-1875) at The Vault at Pfaff's Category:1811 births Category:1875 deaths Category:19th-century poets Category:American poets Category:Canadian poets Category:English-language poets Category:Poets Category:Irish-Canadian poets